The Hard Shoulder

Ireland has been ranked third in the world for long commutes.Commuters in Ireland spend 9 days, 14 hours and 10 minutes a year driving to and from work on average, according to research carried out by Autotrader.One man who experiences commuter hell regularly is Johnny Fallon, Strategy Director with Carr Communications, who commutes to Dublin most days from Longford. He joins Shane to discuss.

Life can be full of confusing things, but no need to worry! Every Wednesday, Simon Tierney will be showing you ‘How to do Stuff’ - bringing his best tips for those things you might not think about.This week, Simon joins Ciara and Shane to discuss how to travel with kids!

A study has proved that the long-debated phenomenon of 'baby brain' may actually cause a profound 'rewiring' process during pregnancy to prepare a woman for the demands of parenthood, with expectant mothers losing an average of nearly 5% of the brain's grey matter.But, how does this affect people and are the effects long term?Joining Ciara to discuss is Ollwyn Moran, Neuro Development Therapist & Founder of Cogni Kids.

The International Energy Agency said that today its member countries would unlock 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves, the biggest release ever, to ease the impact of the Middle East war.For more on this, Shane is joined by Aoife Foley, Professor in Energy Systems and Chair in Net Zero Infrastructure at the University of Manchester.

In a request for tender, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it wants to secure the supply of 4,500 woolen scarves, each with what the department describes as a “distinctive and uniquely Irish artistic character” to give to European dignitaries when Ireland takes on the EU Presidency later this year.So, what is the symbol of Ireland?Joining Shane and Ciara to discuss is Darren Kennedy, Broadcaster and style expert.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Ciara to discuss Google’s 4th annual Growing Up in the Digital Age Summit. She had the opportunity to speak with Mindy Brooks, VP of Google Kids and Families and YouTube’s Global Head of Health Dr Garth Graham to talk all things online safety.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned of a long "war of attrition", as the conflict with the US and Israel continues…Joining Ciara to discuss is Bel Trew, Chief International Correspondent with The Independent and Niall Stanage, White House Columnist at The Hill.Image: Reuters

A new tool which has been designed to show how long it would take for a first-time buyer to obtain a home in their locality, based on current building rates, has found that it would take more than 100 years in 18 of 166 electoral districts in the State.Joining Shane to discuss is Rob Cass, who co-designed the website onemillionhomes.ie showcasing these findings...

The UK government has lost its appeal over a terror charge against a member of the Irish language rap trio Kneecap.Newstalk Reporter Emily Keegan was in Belfast today speaking with Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, also known as Mo Chara, and joins Shane to give the latest updates.

A two day national conference on road safety has opened in Killarney with the central theme of safer roads. 185 people lost their lives on roads in the Republic of Ireland last year and 57 north of the border. So far this year, 32 have lost their lives in the Republic. So, with the rise in road deaths, are we framing this wrong? And should we be framing this as a public health emergency?Sinéad O’Sullivan is a Business Economist, and joins Ciara to discuss this and her website tracking road deaths.

“St Patrick’s Day is Ireland’s national day. It marks the feast of our patron saint and celebrates Irish history, Irish music and Irish culture. Everyone is welcome to celebrate with us. Ireland has always been welcoming.But the day should remain about Ireland. Turning St Patrick’s Day into a global ‘celebrate every culture’ festival misses the point. Every nation deserves one day each year that honours its own heritage. Ireland deserves the same.”That was a tweet by Ken O’Flynn, Independent Ireland TD for Cork North-Central. He joins Ciara to discuss.

New statistics from the CSO over recent years show that December and August were the most popular months chosen by couples to get married. Surprisingly, despite its traditional association with weddings, not one date in June featured in the top ten.So, what is it about December and August?Joining Shane and Ciara to discuss this is Sarah Kennedy, Wedding Expert with the Irish Wedding Blog.

Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world.This week, as part of his 12 best cities in the world, Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to give the ultimate guide to his favourite city in the world, Palm Springs!

Managing Director of Asia Market and host of Eva Pau's Asian Kitchen on RTÉ Eva Pau has dedicated her life and career to making Asian cooking accessible for home cooks across Ireland and beyond.Eva arrived in Ireland with her mum and dad at only one month old. Her dad grew up in Guangzhou, China and her mum in Hong Kong. Spotting a major gap in the market for Asian products in Ireland, the couple opened the Asia Market on Drury St, Dublin 2, 43 years ago…Henry McKean joined Eva to try and make wontons, and sent in this report.

The second day of a civil case brought against former Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams was held at the High Court in London today. Plaintiffs have accused him of being directly responsible for the decisions made by the IRA to detonate bombs in England. Adams denies any role in the Provisional IRA.Joining Ciara with the latest is Mark Paul, London Correspondent with The Irish Times.

Off the Ball’s John Duggan joins Ciara and Shane from Cheltenham to discuss the races, and the buzz around the festival on day one.

Political Correspondent with Virgin Media and author Gavan Reilly joins Ciara and Shane to place his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

While we hear about the many Irish citizens endeavouring to leave the United Arab Emirates, one family that appears to be in no rush to leave are the Kinahans. Marooned there following sanctions imposed by the United States, the family appear to be living their lives in the open, including a sighting at an MMA event last summer.Joining Shane to discuss this is Conor Lally, Crime and Security Editor with The Irish Times.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says today will be the "most intense" of the US strikes on Iran…For more on this, Shane is joined by Tara Kangarlou, Global Affairs Journalist and author of ‘The Heartbeat of Iran’.Image: Reuters

Groups set up on social media to swap supermarket’s money-off vouchers, such as Dunnes 10 off 50 are gaining popularity, but what is it about a good discount voucher that makes us love them so much?Joining Ciara to discuss the reason why is Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin.

A protest is being held on Wednesday March 18th outside the Dáil to protest the approval of plans for 140 apartments on the site of the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork.This comes after a vigil was held last Sunday at the gates of the former Mother and Baby Home in Cork.In 2021, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes found that 923 babies associated with Bessborough died between 1922 and 1998, and burial records for only 64 of them were found…Noelle Brown is a campaigner, Bessborough survivor and Social Democrat Councilor for Kimmage-Rathmines, and she joins Shane to discuss.

On the station today, we’ve been hearing that drivers have left behind more than €300,000 at toll booths last year by driving away without their change when passing through a motorway plaza.With record numbers passing through our tolls, and with frustrations building at the levels of congestion, is the solution to build more roads?Joining Ciara to discuss is Brian Caufield, Professor in Transportation in the Dept of Civil Engineering at Trinity College Dublin.

Ireland is nowhere near meeting its retrofit targets, that's according to a new ESRI report out today.So why are people not retrofitting?For more on this, Shane is joined by Claire McManus, Director of JFOC Architects and Housing Spokesperson for the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland.

There are at least 30 people diagnosed with dementia every day in Ireland, with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland saying that there are 64,000 people living with dementia…Today at Croke Park, a new service was launched that focuses on reminiscence therapy.The Replay is a collection of commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh’s iconic broadcasts.Josh Crosbie went along to the launch, and he sent in this report.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has said at a news conference that there's currently no room for ceasefire talks; stating that as long as attacks continue, there is "no point to talk about anything but defence and retaliation against enemies".Tara Kangarlou, Global Affairs Journalist and author of ‘The Heartbeat of Iran’ joins Shane to discuss…

On Friday we heard from Helen Joyce, Author of Trans; gender identity & the new battle for women’s rights & Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters to discuss the Gender Recognition Act, among other issues.Joining Ciara to return to the discussion is Karen Sugrue, Sociology Lecturer, Psychotherapist and member of Mammies for Trans Rights.

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Ciara and Shane are joined by TJ Hegarty, Founder of Breakthrough Maths and TikTok star to discuss the importance of times tables and spelling are for when your kids are young, and how they are vital for later in life.

Gerry Adams was “directly responsible for and complicit” in the decisions made by the IRA to detonate bombs in England, the High Court in London has heard. Adams denies that he had any role in the Provisional IRA, and is opposing the claim.Joining Shane with the latest updates on the civil trial is Enda Brady, London-based Journalist.

You will have heard throughout the day and over the weekend about fuel prices continuing to rise at forecourts across the country. Oil surged to prices not seen since 2022 this morning, hitting just under $120 a barrel. The Irish Road Hauliers Association has said that these rising prices could force them to take protest action,  which would result in supply chain disruption and rising prices in shops. So, is it time for some form of government intervention on the price of fuel?Joining Ciara to debate is Malcolm Byrne, Fianna Fáil TD and Spokesperson on Climate, Environment and Energy and Mairéad Farrell, Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.

At our beaches and along our waterways you may be well familiar with the yellow boxes holding lifebuoys. What you may not be familiar with is the people across the country who ensure that each and every lifebuoy remains up to standard, and is replaced after any vandalism, which can unfortunately be a regular occurrence…Fergal Wyckham is a ring buoy inspector with Water Safety Ireland, and joins Shane to explain the work and what they encounter as part of it.

President Catherine Connolly has said recent attacks in the Middle East are “deliberate assaults on international law”.President Connolly made these remarks in a statement which marked International Women’s Day. Her comments have concerned some in Government that it might affect the Taoiseach visit to the White House for St Patrick's Day…Joining Ciara for more on this is John Lee, Group Political Editor with the Irish Daily Mail.

Housing Minister James Browne has confirmed that the Government will soon relax planning regulations to allow more people to build one-off homes in rural areas.For more on this, Shane is joined by Carol Tallon of the Property District…

“There seem to be potholes on every road and ones that were there before have grown – it’s a bit of a disaster.”Those are the words of Daniel Pender, Fianna Fáíl County Councillor & Cathaoirleach of Muinebheag, Carlow on the state of the roads following Storm Chandra.He joins Ciara to discuss, as well as Conor Faughnan, Independent Motoring Expert for Carzone.

This week, Ciara and Shane were joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis and Off the Ball’s Ger Gilroy to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

“This International Women’s Day, I want to propose that we stop telling women they don’t look their age. We hand out this observation like it’s a medal, when it’s actually toxic.”So says Irish Independent Columnist, Mary McCarthy, who joins Ciara and Shane to discuss.

Minister Peter Burke today issued a statement regarding the increased abuse retail workers have been experiencing in recent days following the increase in fuel prices. In his statement he said, “I want to make it clear that this behaviour is unacceptable, and no one should take their frustration out on any retail worker.”Have you noticed an increase in abuse?Joining Ciara to discuss this is Jim Fuery, Assistant General Secretary of Mandate.

How can you tell if you have gum disease? And if you do, how can it be treated?Dentist Dr Bronagh Keane joins Shane to discuss.

Off The Ball Senior Producer Mick McCarthy joined Ciara and Shane on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

Last night was reported to be the heaviest night of bombardments in the capital Tehran, with the Israeli Defence Forces also carrying out a wave of strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut.Joining Shane with the latest updates is William Christou, Journalist in Beirut writing for The Guardian.

Rúaidhrí O’Connor is an Irish rugby fan who struck up a conversation with Welsh fans 50 years ago, which led to 50 years of friendship…They’re celebrating it tomorrow, and Rúaidhrí joins Shane to share his story.

A conference will take place on Saturday to discuss the Gender Recognition Act 2015 & its potential impact on Irish society.Ciara is joined by one of the speakers at the event, Helen Joyce, Author of ‘Trans: Gender Identity & The New Battle for Women’s Rights & Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters’.

Shane Lowry has been speaking about the perspective he gained from his daughter after placing second at the Cognizant Classic last week.His daughter asked "Why is everyone acting so sad that you finished second? Second is good.”So, how do you deal with coming second?Joining Shane to discuss is Enda McNulty, CEO of McNulty Performance.

A recent survey by ComReg of 3,000 Irish adults found that 57% are paying for traditional TV services, such as Sky or Virgin.The number represents a sharp decrease since 2023, when 70% were subscribing.It’s estimated that around 400,000 people have dodgy boxes across the country...is there where those subscribers are going?Larry Bass is CEO of ShinAwil, and joins Shane to discuss.

Yesterday we heard from Labour TD George Lawlor and Ann Marie Lamb, a tenant in one of the thirty six homes in Bridgetown County Wexford issued with eviction notices. Those tenants have now been told that those eviction notices have been withdrawn.Anna, Tenant at Hazelwood in Bridgetown, joins Ciara to discuss.

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and John Fardy, Presenter of Screentime on Newstalk joined Ciara and Shane to review the latest TV and movie releases…

The Special Olympics Ireland Summer Games, Ireland’s largest inclusive sporting event, will take place from the 18th to the 21st of June. Over 1,200 athletes will compete across 12 sports over four days in 10 venues in Dublin.Henry McKean went to the launch at the National Indoor Arena, and sent this report.

The Government are “taking public for fools’, so says Sinn Fein’s Energy Spokesperson and TD for Kerry, Pa Daly, as a ‘targeted’ energy credit was put off the table by Government.The TD is critical of Government and the energy regulator for allowing the level of household energy debt to reach new record highs…Today Pa Daly introduced two bills that he says will tackle Ireland’s energy crisis, end price gouging, and bring down the price of energy for good.He joins Ciara to discuss.

Actor and Comedian Mike Wozniak joins Ciara and Shane for this week’s Thursday Interview!

The United States and Israel’s war with Iran is in its sixth day today. The Defence Ministry of the UAE has said it has intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles and over one hundred drones with some debris falling inside the country. In Lebanon, the Israeli Defence Forces has urged residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate their homes immediately.For the latest analysis, Ciara is joined by Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science.Image: Reuters

Labour TD for Wexford George Lawlor has said that the audio of a landlord telling a tenant they are selling the property because of the Government’s new rent rules exposes the truth behind a wave of eviction notices in Wexford…George joins Shane, as well as tenant Ann Marie Lambe, who has received an eviction notice, to discuss.